Research Methods Test Iii

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Statistics

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the branch of mathematics that involves the collection, analysis and interpretation of data

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Descriptive Statistics

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Procedures used to summarize a set of data

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Inferential Statistics

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Procedures used to analyze data after an experiment is completed in order to determine whether the independent variable has a significant effect.

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Measurement

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The assignment of symbols to events according to a set of rules

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Scale of measurement

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A set of measurement rules

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Ordinal Scale

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A scale of measurements that permits events to be rank ordered

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Interval Scale

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A scale of measurement that permits rank ordering of events with the assumption of equal intervals between adjacent events

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Ratio Scale

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A scale of measuremtn that permits rank ordering of events with the assumptions of equal intervals between adjacent events and a true zero point

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Mode

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The score in a distribution that occurs most often

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median

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The number that divides a distribution in half

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Mean

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The arithmetic average of a set of numbers; found by adding all the scores in a set and then dividing by the number of scores

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Pie Chart

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Graphical representation of the percentage allocated to each alternative as a slice of circular pie

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HIstogram

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A graph in which the frequency for each category of a quantitative variable is represented a vertical column that touches the adjacent column

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Bar graph

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A graph in which the frequency for each category of a qualitative variable is represented as a vertical column. The columns of a bar graph do not touch

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Frequency Polygon

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A graph that is constructed by placing a dot in the center of each bar of a histogram and then connecting the dots

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Line Graph

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A graph that is frequently used to depict the results of an experiment

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Ordinate

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The vertical or y axis of a graph

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Abscissa

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The horizontal or x axis of a graph

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Variability

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The extent to which scores spread out around the mean

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Range

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A measure of variability that is computed by subtracting the smallest score from the largest score

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Variance

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A single number that represents the total amount of variation in distribution; also the square of the standard deviation

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Standard Deviation

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Square root of the variance; has important relations to the normal curve

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Normal Distribution

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A symmetrical, bell-shaped distribution having half the scores above the mean and half the scores below the mean

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Correlation coefficient

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A single number representing the degree of relation between two variables

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Null Hypothesis

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A hypothesis that says that all differences between groups are due to chance (i.e. not the operation of the IV)

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T-test

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An inferential statistical test used to evaluate the difference between two means.

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Degrees of Freedom

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The ability of a number in a specified set to assume any value

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Type I Error

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Accepting the experimental hypothesis when the null hypothesis is true

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Type II Error

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Accepting the null hypothesis when the experimental hypothesis is true

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Effect Size

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The magnitude or size of the experimental treatment

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Experimental Design

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The general plan for the selecting participants, assigning participants to experimental conditions, controlling extraneous variables, and gathering data

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Principle of parsimony

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The belief that explanations of phenomena and events should remain simple until the simple explanations are no longer valid

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Independent Variable

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A stimulus or aspect of the environment that the experimenter directly manipulates to determine its influences on behavior

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Dependent Variable

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A response or behavior that the experimenter measures. Changes in the DV should be caused by manipulation of the independent variable (IV).

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Extraneous Variable

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Uncontrolled variables that my unintentionally influence the dependent variable (DV) and thus invalidate an experiment

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Levels

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Differing amounts or types of an IV used in an experiment (also known as treatment conditions)

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Experimental Group

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In a two-group design, the group of participants that receives the IV.

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Control Group

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In a two group design, the group of participants that does not receive the the IV

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Random Assignments

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A method of assigning research participants to groups so that each participant has an equal chance of being in any group.

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Random Selection

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A control technique that ensures that each member of the population has an equal chance of being chosen for an experiment

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Independent Groups

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Groups of participants formed by random assignment

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Between-Subjects Comparison

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Refers to a contrast between groups of participants who were randomly assigned to groups

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Confounded Experiment

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An experiment in which an extraneous variable varies systematically with the IV, which makes drawing a cause-and-effect relation impossible

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Correlated Assignment

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A method of assigning research participants to groups so that there is a relationship between small numbers of participants; these small groups are then randomly assigned to treatment conditions (also known as paired or matched assignment)

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Matched Pairs

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Research participants in a two-group design who are measured and equated on some variable before the experiment.

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Repeated Measures

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An experimental procedure in which research participants are tested or measured more than once.

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Natural Pairs

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Research participants in a two-group design who are naturally related in some way (e.g. a biological or social relationship).

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Within-subjects comparison

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Refers to a contrast between groups of participants who were assigned to groups through matched pairs, or natural pairs, or repeated measures

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Between-groups variability

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Variability in the DV scores that is due to the effects of the IV

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Error Variability

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Variability in DV scores that is due to factors other than the IV, such as individual differences, measurement error and extraneous variation.

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Degrees of Freedom

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The ability of a number in a specified set to assume any value.

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True Experiment

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An experiment in which the experimenter directly manipulates the IV

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Ex Post Facto Research

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A research approach in which the experimenter cannot directly manipulate the IV but can only classify, categorize, or measure the IV because it is predetermined in the participants (e.g. IV=Sex)

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Homogeneity of Variance

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the assumption that the variances are equal for the two (or more) groups you plan to compare statistically

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Heterogeneity of Variance

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Occurs when we do not have homogeneity of variance; this means that our two (or more) groups' variances are not equivalent.

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Robust

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Refers to a statistical test that can tolerate violation of its assumptions (e.g. homogeneity of variences) and still yield valid results.

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Positive Correlation

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As scores on one variables increase, scores on the second variable also increase.

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Negative Correlation

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As scores on one variable increase, scores on the second variable decrease

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Experimental Design

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The general plan for selecting participants, to experimental conditions, controlling extraneous variables, and gathering data.

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Independent Variable (IV)

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A stimulus or aspect of the environment that the experimenter directly manipulates to determine its influence on behavior.

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Treatment groups

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Groups of participants that receive the IV

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Independent Groups

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Groups of participants formed by random assignment

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Correlated Groups

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Groups of participants formed by matching, natural pairs, or repeated measures.

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Control Procedure

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One of several steps experimenters take to ensure that potential extraneous variables are controlled, including random assignment, matching etc.

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Matching Variable

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A potential extraneous variable which measure our research participants and from which we form sets of participants who are equal on the variable

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Placebo Effect

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An experimental effect caused by expectation or suggestion rather than the IV

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One-way ANOVA

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A statistical test used to analyze data from an experimental design with one independent variable that has three or more groups.

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Completely randomized ANOVA

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This one-way ANOVA uses independent groups of participants

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Repeated-Measures ANOVA

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this one-way anova uses correlated groups of participants

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Operational Definition

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Defining the independent, dependent, and extraneous variables in terms of the operations needed to produce them.

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Source Table

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A table that contains the results of ANOVA. Source refers to the source of the different types of variation.

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Sum of Squares

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The amount of variability in the DV attributable to each source

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Mean Square

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The averaged variability in the DV attributable to each source.

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Post Hoc comparisons

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Statistical comparisons made between group means after finding a significant F ratio.

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Asymptotic

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Refers to tails of distributions that approach the baseline but never touch the baseline.